Alongside performing and championing the rich heritage of vocal music, The Gesualdo Six is committed to creating the repertoire of the future.
As musicians, we are privileged to perform some of the greatest works ever written, and we believe that preserving this extraordinary musical heritage goes hand in hand with investing in the next generation of choral music. Through commissioning new works from both established and emerging composers, we seek to support today’s creative voices while expanding the repertoire available to singers and audiences around the world.
Many of these commissions have gone on to be performed internationally, recorded on our albums, and published for other ensembles to enjoy. We are delighted to have collaborated with such a diverse range of composers, whose music continues to inspire performers and listeners alike. Below you’ll find a catalogue of works commissioned by The Gesualdo Six, together with links to recordings, videos and published scores where available.
Aura (2020)
Commissioned by The Gesualdo Six and trumpeter Matilda Lloyd, Aura sets Emily Berry’s poem from Stranger, Baby, a moving reflection on grief and the fading boundary between the living and the dead. Barnard mirrors the poem’s divided layout by splitting the singers into two groups, while the trumpet gradually bridges the musical space between them. As voices and instrument eventually merge, the work creates the shimmering “aura” suggested by its title. Aura received its premiere at St John’s Smith Square, London, on 9 October 2020, and is featured on The Gesualdo Six’s album Radiant Dawn.
Psalm 101 (2020)
Commissioned for The Gesualdo Six’s debut appearance on BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong, Kerensa Briggs composed this new Anglican chant for Psalm 101. Premiered in a live broadcast from St Martin-in-the-Fields on 19 August 2020, the work reflects Briggs’ gift for writing music that is both rooted in the Anglican tradition and fresh in its musical language. It marked an important milestone in the ensemble’s early broadcasting history.
Ave Generosa (2026)
Written by Fribourg-based composer Etienne Crausaz, Ave Generosa was commissioned by the Festival International de Musiques Sacrées, Fribourg and received its world premiere by The Gesualdo Six in July 2026. The work sets Hildegard of Bingen’s celebrated text, an ode to purity and fertility, paying tribute to one of the medieval period’s most extraordinary figures—composer, poet, visionary and theologian. Crausaz’s setting brings fresh musical life to Hildegard’s timeless words, connecting her enduring legacy with a contemporary choral voice.
Plaisir n’ai plus (2023)
Written especially for Queen of Hearts, Plaisir n’ai plus sets a sixteenth-century poem by Clément Marot, whose writing was shaped by the religious and political upheavals of Renaissance France. Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade draws inspiration from both Renaissance psalmody and the expressive style of early Baroque madrigals, weaving subtle references to Monteverdi and Gesualdo into an original contemporary language. The result is a work that connects historical musical traditions with a distinctive modern voice.
The Horse enters Troy (2025)
Commissioned by The Gesualdo Six Charity, The horse enters Troy draws on Rebecca Farthing’s own translation of Virgil’s Aeneid, depicting the moment the Trojans unknowingly bring the wooden horse within their city walls. Set during the stillness of night, the work explores themes of deception, fate and impending catastrophe. Repeating vocal figures and rising cello lines gradually intensify the tension before subsiding into a haunting conclusion, where apparent peace conceals irreversible tragedy. It received it’s premiere at St Martin-in-the-Fields in November 2025, performed by The Gesualdo Six and cellist Josephine Knight.
Nothing gold can stay (2025)
Commissioned by The Gesualdo Six for the Faire is the Rose programme, a collaboration with The Chelys Consort, Nothing gold can stay received its premiere at the Cheltenham Music Festival on 6 July 2025. Inspired by Robert Frost’s celebrated poem, the work formed part of a programme exploring beauty, nature and the passing of time through music old and new.
I take thee (2020)
Commissioned as a gift from Stephen Bence to his wife, Ayesha Vardag, to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, I Take Thee sets a joyful poem by Imtiaz Dharker reflecting on love, commitment and shared everyday moments. Joanna Marsh’s luminous harmonic language moves effortlessly between rich, glowing sonorities and moments of striking simplicity, mirroring the warmth and intimacy of the text. The piece is feature on the ensemble’s album Lux Aeterna, which explores musical responses to mourning and loss.
The Blue Bird (2016)
Andrew Maxfield’s setting of Mary Elizabeth Coleridge’s The Blue Bird was written for The Gesualdo Six in 2018. Inspired by the many shades and reflections suggested by the poem, the music inhabits an atmosphere of cool, shimmering colour, with gently shifting harmonies evoking the bird’s fleeting appearance upon the water. Alongside subtle references to William Byrd and even Joni Mitchell’s Blue, the work offers a fresh and imaginative response to one of English poetry’s most beloved texts.
Lumen (2020)
Created in collaboration with The Gesualdo Six, Donna McKevitt’s Lumen is a contemporary setting of the Nunc Dimittis in Latin. Repeating fragments of text pass between the voices, gradually unfolding into richer textures as the music evolves. Lingering dissonances and overlapping vocal lines create a reflective, almost hypnotic atmosphere, allowing the familiar words to emerge with renewed clarity and emotional depth. It is featured on The Gesualdo Six’s album Lux Aeterna.
Ar lan y môr (2026)
Commissioned by Brecon Choir Festival, Blake Morgan’s arrangement of the much-loved Welsh folk song Ar lan y môr was written for The Gesualdo Six for the 2026 Festival. Balancing respect for the original melody with fresh harmonic colours, the arrangement offers a new perspective on this timeless song of love and longing beside the sea.
O send out thy light (2022)
Written for The Gesualdo Six’s Epiphany concert series, O send out thy light sets words from Psalm 43. The ensemble divides into two vocal groups, creating a musical dialogue that gradually unfolds into warmer, more lyrical textures before returning to the luminous harmonies of the opening. Characteristic of Owain Park’s writing, the work combines expressive melodic lines with richly coloured harmonic writing. It is also featured on The Gesualdo Six’s epiphany album Morning Star, released in 2023.
Purchase your copy of Morning Star (2023)
Prayer (2026)
Commissioned for The Gesualdo Six’s appearance at Brecon Choir Festival in 2026, Prayer sets George Herbert’s celebrated poem, whose sequence of vivid metaphors explores the many dimensions of prayer without ever defining it directly. Park’s setting responds to the poem’s musical imagery with a work of quiet contemplation, allowing Herbert’s extraordinary language to speak with clarity and warmth.
Prière pour Marie (2024)
Written especially for Queen of Hearts, Prière pour Marie sets a traditional prayer associated with Mary of England’s journey to marry Louis XII of France. Reflecting on the meeting of earthly and heavenly queenship, the work draws together history, devotion and lyrical beauty in a characteristically elegant miniature.
Purchase your copy of Queen of Hearts (2024)
The Testimony of St John (after Orlando Gibbons) (2024)
Supported by The Gesualdo Six Charity, The Testimony of St John was first written for the programme Hear O Heavens, which explored the English verse anthem tradition. Premiered at St John’s Smith Square with organist Richard Gowers and The Gesualdo Six. In 2026, Owain re-worked the piece in order to incorporate it on the ensemble’s collaborative EP Faire is the Rose which Chelys Consort of Viols.
The Light Thereof (2020)
Commissioned by The Gesualdo Six, Deborah Pritchard’s The Light Thereof sets words from the Book of Revelation in a meditation on light and hope. Trumpet and voices begin in quiet dialogue before gradually coming together in increasingly expressive textures. The work received its premiere in Helsingborg, Sweden, and is featured on The Gesualdo Six’s collaborative album with Matilda Lloyd, Radiant Dawn.
Da Pacem Domine (2022)
Premiered at Kings Place, London, in October 2022, Shruthi Rajasekar’s Da Pacem Domine draws upon centuries of musical settings of this timeless prayer for peace. Beginning in a place of uncertainty and loss, the work gradually finds resolution through its invocation of “Deus noster”, transforming the ancient text into a deeply contemporary reflection on hope, faith and reconciliation.
My heart is like a singing bird (2016)
Winner of The Gesualdo Six’s inaugural Composition Competition, Sarah Rimkus’ setting of Christina Rossetti’s poem has become one of the ensemble’s best-loved contemporary works. Delicate vocal canons, beautifully shaped melodic lines and an ingenious heart-shaped motif hidden within the score combine to create a work of remarkable elegance and craftsmanship. It is also featured on the ensemble’s third album, Fading (2020).
Purchase your copy of Fading (2020)
A Hymn (2024)
Supported by The Gesualdo Six Charity, A Hymn was written for the programme Hear O Heavens, which explored the English verse anthem tradition. Premiered at St John’s Smith Square with organist Richard Gowers, Anna Semple’s arrangement for TTBB voices and chamber organ creates a thoughtful dialogue between historic repertoire and newly commissioned music.
Christus factus est (2020)
Christus Factus Est was The Gesualdo Six’s first commissioned work as an ensemble. Written by Joanna Ward, winner of the under-18 category of the group’s inaugural Composition Competition, the piece was due to receive its premiere at the 2020 Aldeburgh Festival before the concert was cancelled because of the pandemic. It was later recorded for The Gesualdo Six’s album Tenebrae Responsories, where it continues to introduce listeners to Ward’s compelling musical voice.
Coronasolfege for 6 (2020)
Inspired by the creative challenges of lockdown, Héloïse Werner’s Coronasolfege grew out of the rhythmic body-percussion videos that became an online sensation during the pandemic. Written especially for The Gesualdo Six, the work combines playful rhythmic invention, theatricality and virtuosic vocal writing, celebrating resilience, imagination and human connection during an extraordinary period of isolation.
Winner of the 21-and-over category in the ensemble’s second Composition Competition, The Wind’s Warning sets what is believed to be Ivor Gurney’s final poem. Atmospheric vocal textures evoke the sound of wind, while gently shifting harmonies and lyrical central passages reflect on memory, loss and the passing of time. The work appears on The Gesualdo Six’s 2026 album Wishing Tree and the score is published by G6 Editions.
Support our commissioning
Are you interested in commissioning a new work for The Gesualdo Six? We welcome collaborations with festivals, venues, organisations, and individuals wishing to create new music. Please get in touch with us at friends@thegesualdosix.co.uk.